Oso Ighodaro

Ighodaro spent the four years of his college career at Marquette, and even though he rarely saw the court as a freshman, he eventually found a role with the program. Ighodaro was a reliable contributor off the bench as a sophomore, averaging 5.5 points while logging 18.2 minutes per game. By the start of his junior season, he had already become a regular starter. Ighodaro averaged double-digit points in his final two seasons at Marquette while racking up 72 starts between his junior and senior years. He posted his best season as a senior during the 2023-24 campaign, where he averaged career-best marks in points (13.4), rebounds (4.3) and steals (1.1) per game. Ighodaro was named to the All-Big East Second Team in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, and he was also named to the 2023-24 All-Big East Tournament. Ighodaro might not have one area where he stands out, but he doesn't have glaring weaknesses. His versatility to contribute on both ends of the court might be his calling card. He can stretch the floor due to his above-average shooting touch and is comfortable attacking the rim, though he's a bit undersized to play at center. Ighodaro's passing and vision are severely underrated and he is comfortable creating for others in the low post. Ighodaro does have several areas in which he can improve his game, such as his consistency as a shooter, his decision-making, and his ability to finish near the rim, which is already good but might not translate effectively to the NBA due to the quality of the defenders he'll be facing. Given that he's a big man who can facilitate for his teammates while also protecting the rim, his game resembles a more athletic Jusuf Nurkic. However, considering he still needs to work on his defense, he has made strides in that regard, impressing in the 2024 NBA Draft Combine with his ability to set screens and switch onto smaller players. That said, he might find it easier to thrive on offense than defense at the start of his NBA career. While he might not have the All-Star ceiling of other versatile big men such as Domantas Sabonis, he should be a serviceable frontcourt player for years to come, either in a starting role or off the bench.